and Professors and Rabble of unrighteous people may rejoyce Is not this thy work And really so how canst thou have a face to deny it Dost not thou seek to destroy our Lives and Reputations in the Truth by rendring us Apostates and Innovators And what a Hurry and Pudder didst thou and thine Adherents make concerning John Story how we went about to unminister him because we desired him to return into the North and first to be Reconciled to his Brethren before he came and offered his Gift otherwise he would go out in a contentious Spirit to the sowing of Strife and Sedition amongst the Churches Now consider thy own work who hast espoused his Cause what havock thou makest to lay waste the Heritage of God not only according to thy Ability to go about to unminister Gods faithful Labourers in the Work of his Gospel but also to unchristian them by rendring them Apostates and Innovators Oh! wicked Spirit and unbridled Tongue And what parallel is this Thy Publishing of thy wicked Book against Gods People as a common Adversary to Gods Truth and his People endeavouring to be believed in thy wicked work and also as it were to curse Gods Heritage from being his People and faithful Servants if thou hadst power according to thy will as is too evident by the prosecution of thy wicked Work and so art in Balaam's way I say what parallel is this if all had been true what thou hast written writing it in a malicious Spirit to Pauls withstanding Peter to his Face before all men which is false It is not before all men but before them all as is to be further shewn hereafter Did Paul publish this to the World and all men to render him an Apostate and Innovator and all of his Spirit who had Unity with him as thou hast done us Nay it is manifest that Peter received and owned the plain-dealing and love of his Brother Paul and felt it to come from the Spirit of Love and true-heartedness to him And it was so far from making a breach between them that it more nearly united them And afterwards Peter very affectionately speaks of his beloved Brother Paul and of his Epistles in which says he are some things hard lo be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.15 16. As thou hast endeavoured to pervert the plain dealing of Paul with Peter to serve thy own turn and thy false end in Printing us to the World as Apostates and Innovators c. And what if this be now made publick it is a work quite contrary to thine and from another Spirit and to another end O William If thou couldst but see thy work and repent of it how glad should I be I have pitied thee and wished thee better imployment And whereas thou reflects upon me in the sixth part p. 21. saying That I act like such as have had their Education at Bilingsgate amongst the Scolds rather than under the Roof of sober Families Blessed be God I act against thee as the Lord does give me a good understanding and see thee to be of a wicked Spirit in Korah's way and State of Rebellion and of Cain's murtherous Line I mean spiritually and how impudent art thou to compare my Education with the Education of the Scolds at Bilingsgate I have had for this thirty years or thereabouts my Education in the blessed Truth and always was in thy best condition thy Elder in it and have never yet deserved thy base language concerning my Education And before I was convinced of the Truth I was of better behaviour than thou now art for I then loved good and honest people who feared the Lord and wrought Righteousness in their day and Generation and sought and enquired after the knowledge of the Lord from my young and tender years but thou art in a Rebellious State against Gods faithful Servants Alas William is this thy work to abuse Me and many grave Ancients in Israel who have kept their Habitations in the Truth Herein I may a little boast to stop thy mouth Bring forth the Person who this thirty years last past can tax my Life and Conversation or Education that I have not had my Education so in the Truth that I have been in my Life what I have Doctrinally Preached forth I speak this to the Praise of Gods Grace and testifie in the fear of God against thy slanderous tongue But it is like thee who art guided by an unruly and rebellious Spirit who hast corrupted thy manners by thy evil words who art turned against the Truth and thy Tongue is at liberty to abuse those that have kept their Habitations in it Thou art a quarrelsom man and thy impudence is so great that thou endeavourest to supplant the Righteous seed and abuse Gods faithfull Labourers in his Vineyard by rendring them as Apostates and Innovators and so art mischievous in thy undertakings and we know thou art a false Accuser and thou endeavourest to stop the course of our Testimonies that we may not be believed as Christian Ministers by thy false insinuations who would prejudice both Friends and others against us to stop their Ears from hearing the Truth declared by us O wicked envious Spirit do thy worst What canst thou do with all thy power Gods pure simplicity being kept unto amongst his people they easily discern thee to be an Apostate and faln Spirit if ever thou hadst a condition in the Truth And if ever thou hadst then wast thou but a Novice in it and yet hast taken upon thee a mischievous work to run out with thy Horns against such as G. F. G. W. and my self and many others rendring us Apostates and Innovators But we truly comprehend thee to be got up into presumption lifted up with pride and art fallen into the condemnation of the Devil And therefore it is that thou art become malicious and hast not kept thy first State in the Truth but hast left that habitation according to thy measure which thou hadst in it And now thou appearest in thy wickedness against the Living God and in this State except thou canst find a place of Repentance thou art reserved in the everlasting Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the Great day And whereas thou reflects and despises that good Government of Christ that the God of Heaven hath erected and established amongst us by his Spirit and Power the ground and foundation of which in my Epistle of Caution I have in measure laid down I believe to the satisfaction of all innocent Friends that fear God Yet thy foul Spirit is so offended at this work that thou art evil affected towards it under the colour of Impositions and Innovations and forcing a Conformity upon Conscience vefore Conviction and without Faith Unto which I answer Without Faith it is impossible to please God And therefore we perswade men by the force
Days Meetings all thy brawlings and Clamours against the Friends Concern'd in that Meeting they in the Lords Power do not regard as knowing thy words to be of no Credit with them that fear the Lord. And W. R. are not all the Books that thou hast Printed against the Faithful in which thou hast shot all thy Wicked Darts with thy foul Language like unto J. Story and J. Wilkinson's Condemnation thou drew up for them which thou calledst a Rattle to please Children And could there have been more Wickedness known in Man and Dissimulation than that way For was not thy Intent thereby to deceive And was not that a mark and a Badge of thy great Apostacy from the Light of Christ and his Truth But the Children of the Light neither thou nor J. Story nor J. Wilkinson were able to deceive And therefore thou Roarest now like a Bull in a Nett and reproachest such Faithful Friends as here desired thy Eternal Good And all thy Printed Books are like unto the Rattle thou speakst of to please Children and they must be Children indeed and simple and Betrayed from Christ and his Light that believe thy Rattles But all that walk in the Light and are grafted into Christ see over thee and them and thou canst not deceive them And therefore thou art in such a Toss and Tempest and in a fretful Restless Spirit And what W. R Wouldest thou have a Meeting to wait upon the Lord to Manifest thy Words Works and Spirit The Lord hath sufficiently discovered both thy Words Works and Spirit by his Eternal Power and Spirit and judged them Thou sayst Thou art for Peace Then call in all thy Dirty Wicked Books and Condemn them And do not oppose the Light of Christ and his Grace the Truth and the Spirit in his people nor the Gospel the power of God in Men and Women which hath led them to Christ and God to meet in his Power and Spirit by which they are gathered to him to take care of Gods Truth which is their Duty that he be not dishonoured and the Camp of God may be kept Clean And to see that all Marriages may be performed desently and in Order that Christ in the Female as well as in the Male may have an Eye in them that both Male and Female being Faithful to God may be Meet-helps together in Truth and in Righteousness and Holiness in Christ Jesus But if thou dost proceed and goest on Gods Eternal Sword of his Spirit is drawn against thee and that Spirit that takes thy part and therefore be warned For its Judgment is begun and his Sword will not be put up untill it hath perfected its Work And when thou feelest it cut and the Terrors of the Lord upon thee for thy Wicked Works sake in which thou hast cryed Peace Peace but instead of Peace Peace nothing but Destruction will come upon thee Then William O the Horror when the Vengeance of God is upon thee for abusing people with thy deceitful Rattles Then remember the tender Bowels of them that sought thy Eternal Good and would have reclaimed thee for hadst thou kept to the Witness of God and Judged J. S. and J. W. thou hadst never followed this Disorderly Spirit of the son of Perdition which is exalted above all that is called God in thee which seeks to betray Gods people and his Truth Judas like to the World But if ever God should be so Merciful to thee as to bring thee down to his Witness in thy self thou wouldest Lament the Day that ever thou espousedst that Spirit that led J. S. and J. W. from the Truth and so turned against the Faithful Friends and Children of the Light W. R. Thou goest over and over in thy Books with slighting Expressions against our Church-Government and that in a lofty scoffing despising way But I must tell thee Christ who is the Governour hath established by his Light Power and Spirit his Government in the hearts of all his Children of Light who are living Members of his Body his Church which he is the living head of and the Gates of Hell shall not Prevaile against it And by Christs Light in themselves every Male and Female in the Church sees their service and their Duty to God And W. R. Thou art busying and mudling thy head about G. F's Trade thou hadst better let G. F. and his Trade alone who never did Dispise the smallest honest calling upon Earth W. R. says Part 8. pag. 8. Let G. F. know whether he can receive it or no that probable the Name of a Quaker might not have been despised so much by many as it now is had he but followed the example of W. D. and other his fellowlabourers keeping at some honest outward calling instead of mudling his head to bring about a Conformity to his outward Orders For I am fully satisfied in my Conscience that that noisom scent that hath risen like smoak from the bottomless Pit hath been occasioned from an Antichristian Promotion of his outward Orders so far W. Rogers Answ Now the Reader may see this Mans Spirit he hath not given a Catalogue of these outward Orders that the Reader may see them And his Clamorous Tongue is but from his Antichristian Spirit and Evil Conscience and the noisom smoak of his bottomless Pit but he cannot darken Gods Air for the Sun of Righteousness is arisen with healing in his Wings which shines over all but God will judge him for his foul Language and hard speeches for many weapons have been formed against G. F. since he was about 19 years old and moved of the Lord to forsake all and to follow the Lamb. But how can W. R. tell and be so confident that G. F. hath not some concerns in the outward Creation having a Family He hath not proved the Contrary which he must do or else stop his Mouth for shame for if he had not how is it that he hath been under sufferings and exercises some Years in several Courts for not paying Tithes and his quoting W. D. in the case is meer flattery But what outward calling was that J. Story followed and J. Wilkinson when they were at Bristol let Friends of Bristol and Wiltshire speak where they were and what it was whom he calls his honourable Brethren and how have they kept the Name of a Quaker from being despised there What a malitious Spirit guides thee to defame if possible G. F. that dear and faithful Servant of God who through his Grace hath been such a Faithful Instrument in his hand that by him thousands have been converted to God through the Gospel committed to him and have been shod with the preparation of it to defend them from the Briars and Thorns the Exercises and Troubles of this evil World to bring them to Peace with the Lord. And the Authority of God is with him still to preserve him to stand over the Devil and thy foul Spirit and all the Agents and
Something in ANSWER To Two late MALITIOUS LIBELS of William Rogers Intituled The Sixth and Eighth part of his falsly so called Christian-Quaker c. Being a further Caution to FRIENDS To take heed of that Treacherous Spirit that is entered into WILLIAM ROGERS and his Abettors Who under the Profession of Primitive Truth are betraying it to the World and puting truths Lambs into their Bearskins for the World to Worry because they have no power to do it themselves who have published their wicked Books in Askalon the fire of their Infamy and have told it in Gath the Wine Press to press out their sower Grapes to set the Peoples teeth on Edge against the Lambs of God Published for the Clearing of Truth against William Rogers's Lies and Slanders and for the Information of the simple-minded that they may not be insnared by the Crafts and Wiles of Satan through such fallen Antichristian Instruments as William Rogers and such as are Entered into the same Malitious Spirit with him C. T. 2 Tim. 3. v. 8. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the Truth Men of Corrupt minds Reprobate concerning the Faith V. 9. But they shall proceed no further their folly shall be manifest to all Men as theirs also was V. 13. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived London Printed for John Bringhurst Printer and Stationer at the Sign of the Book in Grace-Church-Street 1682. AN ANSWER TO William Rogers William Rogers I Have read something in thy two Books called the sixth and eighth part of thy Book called The Christian Quaker reflecting upon me at a gross abusive rate because I withstood thee in Print in thy Printing that malicious Book called by thee The Christian Quaker c. And good ground I had to withstand thee as I did For reading in thy Book I understood thy drift intent to be to render dear G.F. by Name several others dragged by their Names in thy Book with my self included and indeed all Friends who are in Unity with us who are the Church of Christ to be Apostates and Innovators and thy self with thy Adherents to be the Christian-Quakers in thy false sence as plainly appears in thy Book which I suppose thou wilt not deny So this being the true state of the case we must either submit to thee or thou and those of thy Spirit to us But that we are Apostates or Innovators that is Revolters Backsliders from the Truth deserters of our Guide and Captain Christ Iesus And Innovators or such as bring in new things into the Church and alter or contradict the true Government and State of it we utterly deny and reject thy false Charge and all that are concerned with thee And my Charge from God upon thee is true Thou art of a Rebellious Mind and standest up as Korah and his Company did against Gods faithful and true Servants who have and do keep their Habitations in the Truth to this day And thou art of a slanderous Tongue and void of a good Understanding How long wilt thou pervert the Truth in thy gainsayings and stand in opposition to the Lords power and reject Gods pure Counsel to thee through his Servants and their tender desires for thee which sometimes have reached thy Conscience But take heed lest thy Rum come and there be none to help thee And when thy work is over without Repentance with Judas thou go to thy proper place What adoe thou makest because I have quoted no particular sentence out of thy Book but in the general as in my Title Page and other places I have given the Reader to understand that the matter of my Charge against thee is in thy Book called The Christian-Quaker c. These are my words in the Title Page To Friends To take heed of that Treacherous Spirit that is entred into William Rogers and his Abettors as appears in his Book falsely called The Christian Quaker And if the ground of my Charge against thee be not the ground of thy Book and in thy Book over and over then I have erred and am not to be believed But thou canst not justly deny nor any of thy Abettors but that thou hast rendred us aforementioned to be both Apostates and Innovators and if thou dost deny it thou dost overthrow the foundation of thy Book And none need to pin their Faith on my Sleeve to believe this but in the Light of Christ to Read See and Believe for themselves in this matter And to thy wicked Book I refer the Reader whether this be not the main Subject of it and so is notorious false and blasphemous Read Rev. 2.9 I know the Blasphemy of them which say they are Iews and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan This is become thy condition who callest thy self a Christian Quaker but indeed art of the Synagogue of Satan that Adversary And what if I have neither particularly quoted Part nor Page of thy Book yet what I affirm is true Unto which for proof of what I say I refer the Reader to thy Book and justifie my Charge against thee and Charge thee with Rebellion and gainsaying the Truth and Power of God in his faithful Servants For we Charge thee in the Presence of God and before his Angels and Men to be a false Accuser of the Brethren and to be guided by a malicious evil Spirit And now as for my not quoting Part and Page out of thy Book I did not go about particularly to Answer thy Book but to bear my Testimony against thee not to be of God in that Spirit thou writ it And in Rev. 2.15 is spoken by John of the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans which he hated and quotes not what that Doctrine was nor Chapter nor Verse and yet is not reflected on as not to be believed in one word he speaks c. And whereas thou quotest something out of the third Page in my Book and quarrel'st with the two last words for ever because I say To the Praise of his Name for ever having before spoken of the Lords eminent Instruments in his Hand as dear G. F. and others opposed by W. R. as Apostates and Innovators Thou sayest by the words for ever If I mean G. F. that is to the Praise of G. F.'s Name for ever Then thou sayest I should have added so and so c. And so bringest in several â—fs and runnest with thy Horns especially against G. F. But this is quibling and scurrilous and catching according to the Nature of the Spirit thou art led by For who will take it so But to put all out of doubt for the sake of the simple it is to be read according to my Mind and Meaning To the Praise of the Lords Name for ever Now William These foolish things from a perverse and malicious Airy Mind thou hast been Publishing and telling as in Gath and Askalon that the uncircumcised Priests
of Truth and the Word of the Lord to be reconciled to every thing that is good as to good Order and Government and not to stand in opposition against it And a great clamour thou makest about Government and Orders and fillest people full of stories of this kind and rendrest us little better in these matters than Papists and Popishly affected And yet notwithstanding dost not set down what all these Orders are Thou malitious man begin from first to last and tell such to whom thou Writes and Prints what all these Orders are thou so openst thy Mouth against If they be good in themselves as some of thy Friends have said and confessed therefore why not practicable and why should they be opposed But ye are in confusion Should we not endeavour that every simple-hearted person may be informed and truly Instructed in that which is Pure Decent Good and Commendable that all things may be done in good Order by the spirit of God to the praise of the Name of the Great God who is the God of Order and not of Confusion or Anarchy They that plead for Liberty Contrary to the pure Spirit Life and Power of Jesus Christ are out of the Faith and not faithful to God And in that state they are blind and Ignorant of Gods way and Truth in this his Gospel Dispensation And so they become wilful Opposers of that which is good in a Disobedient mind and so call Good Evil and Evil Good And that Government that is erected by the Eternal God in the hearts of his people they despise and contemn because they are not in a Condition to Answer it because of their sinful disobedience and love Darkness more than Light And if People be Simple-minded We know the faithful-hearted that fear God into whom he gives a good understanding will endeavour to inform such as at any time may conscientiously scruple any thing in this matter And we say None should oppose who do not see and who do not believe those things which others both truly see and to be of God lest they fight like blind men but thou in thy wilful mind teachest Rebellion and to make the minds of the simple-hearted evill affected with the Government of God and Christ Jesus Which he hath and is still Estableshing amongst us and like Iannes and Iambres thy mind is corrupted to oppose the Truth being Reprobate or of no Judgment concerning the Faith For they that are faithful to God know us and our work who are his Servants and Ministers through his Grace Excercised in his Work and Service And that we are neither Apostates nor Innovators for that 's thy own condition as thy lying Tongue would Insinuate And that Government and Grder we have Estableshed by the Lord amongst us is so far from the Spirit of Antichrist in the Estableshment of it that it is no less than the product of Gods Power and Heavenly Wisdom which is pure and peaceable from above But thy Folly will be fully Mannifest and thy shame will appear though thou wouldst hide it by endeavouring grosly to abuse such Ancients in Jsrael as God hath clothed with his Heavenly Righteousness I say thy shame will appear and thy work of Wickedness will be made manifest to all the Simple-hearted who in their Souls truely desire to be tought by the Lord that they may be truly Established in his Righteousness And whereas In thy Eigth Part page 11. thou hast these words And if this small Tract as well as other Discoveries of Apostacy and Innovation become as so many Darts to pierce the bowels of that Cause espowsed by those nameless persons terming themselves the second Days Meeting even as an Arrow shot at an Adventure pierced Ahab between the Joints of his Harnass when disguised to save himself then let us say blessed be the God of our Solvation Now William thy Drift Intent as what thou aimest at we clearly perceive and it is easy so to do For the Darts thou shootest thou aimest at Gods servants the Second Days Meeting to pierce the bowels of their cause which cause is the Cause of God and they are and have been concerned against thee to bear Testimony against that Graceless ungodly Spirit with which thy heart is possessed that so the Truth being espoused by them may still prevail over thy Lyes and base Slanders in thy wicked Works who carest little what thou doest or sayest if thou canst but make the Truth and the Professors of it who are exercised in the Work and service of God Odious But all the simple-hearted who read that Book Intitled The Accuser c. may easily see thy Lies and Slanders detected and thy wicked heart to thy shame made Manifest that thou mayst be read as thou art in thy own Nature viz. As an Apostate and Common Adversary to Gods Truth and his faithful Servants who have kept their habitations in the Truth and stand against thy design which is wicked Thou shewest thou art of a Murthering spirit with thy Arrows but they are turned back upon thee again to pierce thy own Bowels Read Psalms the 11.2 Where thou mayst see into thy Work and condition For Loe the Wicked bend their Bow they make ready their Arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the Upright in heart but thou hast mist the Mark c. W. R. thou sayst Part 8. Page 10. Our Ancient Friends J. S. and J. W. when Articled against for not acting against their conscience c. And Page 3. thou speakest of J. W. and J. S. again and Page 6. thou sayest There is no ground either from the Scriptures of Truth without or the Light of Christ within us to believe that any Christian Professor can in Truth affirm that there are outward Prescriptions and Orders given forth by the Spirit of God through any one or more mortal men in this our Day which others ought to obey or follow whether they see it their Duty or no so far W. R. Answers The Insinuation of our giving out Instructions to be practised whilst people do not see them their Duty is a false Insinuation for Instructions of Duty may be given out before they see them such as believing that God will by his Light discover to them their Duty therein if they be not obstinate that they may practise them in the Light Persons not seeing their duty does not make that voyd which is in itself their duty Nor yet ought mens blindness to debar true Ministers from Preaching to them what is their Duty for many see it not their Duty to believe the light of Christ in them and yet it must be Preached to them to open their eyes c. Then doth it not plainly appear that I. Wilkinson and W. Rogers are not in the light of Christ and Spirit of God but are as yet blind and do not see that which is given forth from the Light and Spirit of God to be their Duty to Obey
and follow And such by W. Rogers must be Accounted Honourable Elders and Preachers And yet in his Sixth Part Page 12. tells us The Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and tells us again in his Sixth Part. Page 3. of his Inward peace with the Lord c. and in his Second Page Part 8. there he speaks of the Government of Christ who alone is Lord over the Conscience and Page 10. Part 6. he tells us He is breathing to the Lord of Heaven That we and G. F. may be humbled before the Lord and G. F. in Particular that High and Lofty one may not utterly fall c. What a mad Prayer is this how canst thou be at peace and breath unto the Lord and be thus Wicked for thy Prayers are an Abomination to the Lord. And thou hast not only Judged G. F but as thou scoffingly saist his party also to be Apostates that is such as have blessed Unity with him in the Truth which is the whole Body of Friends who have kept their Habitations in the Living Truth and Faith of Gods Elect which thou art gone from And by what Spirit dost thou pretend thou hast Peace with God and breathest to God and tellest of his Kingdom and yet art blind and dost not see it s thy Duty to obey and follow that which is given forth from the Spirit of God c. How can thy Spirit and the Spirit of those thou termest thy Honourable Brethren be accounted any otherwise then a loose frivolous Spirit And doth W. R. and those that Encouraged him to publick his confused Books stuffed full of Contradictions and with a Rabble of false charges as hath been shewn in other Answers in Print believe that they proceeded from Gods Spirit when he doth not see it to be his Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God are you all of his Mind And he saith Speaking of the Unction That by it all things are known And yet he doth not see it his Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God For this is applied to William Rogers J. Story J. Wilkinson and their Followers for he doth not mention any others who are thus Blind that they do not see for we who are the Members of that Body which Christ is the Head of do see it is our Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God in our day Do we not Read that under the Dipensation of the Law which came by Moses the Priests lips were to preserve the Peoples Knowledge and to be Instructers to the People in all things pertaining to that Dispensation that the People might not be Ignorant of the Law of God but might fully know it And where they doubted in any thing that Priesthood was to Compleat their Knowledge in it that they might not plead Ignorance in any thing contained in the Law to be done for God was able by his Spirit then both Immidiatly and Instrumentally by his Priesthood appointed under that Dispensation to Instruct them fully and none then could say they did not see or they did not believe what was the mind of God under that Dispensation But those that wilfully stopped their Ears and shut their Eyes least they should hear and see understand and obey the will of God who Rebel'd against the Spirit And such came to be hardined in their Sins and Rebel against the Truth and despise the Government of it as Korah and his Company in the Conspiracy against Moses and Aaron c. Much more now in our day under the clear Gospel Ministration may the Israel of God be fully Instructed both Immediately and Instrumentally by his Spirit in all things pertaining to the Doctrine and Discipline of Truth and Gospel Government that their hearts may be subject thereunto and they need not plead Ignorance and say I see not this or I believe not this and If I do this or Obey t'otheir it will be a blind Obedience and I shall do it without Faith or sight I say none need plead thus and upon this ground and with their blind Minds and dark Understandings in their Disobedience oppose Gods People in what they both see and believe to be given forth by his Spirit For Christ hath enlightned them all and hath poured his Spirit upon all Flesh that they may see and perceive that which is given forth from the Spirit Therefore we do affirm that every Imprejudiced simple-harted Friend waiting and following on to know the Lord in his Light and Spirit will grow up in the Faith and not oppose the Faithful in their Faithfulness towards God in what he makes known of his Will And so the Simple-minded will mind the Lord and his power which will preserve them in Unity and fellowship with the Brethren the Members of Christ in the Spirit and Light according to their growth in the Truth and if at any time there be any Conscientious Scrupling concerning any thing as to matter of Discipline or Government or any thing else they will be desirous and willing to Ask Counsil of the Lord and in Gentleness and Meekness of his Faithful People in sinserity without Opposition as the Corinthians did to Paul who answered them cencerning the things they had wrote to him that they might be Convinced and helped in matters pertaining to Faith and Conscience And where did ever the Jews say to Moses and the Prophets They were not convinced and did not see if their Duty to follow and obey that which they declared from the Lord to them And also where did ever the Disciples of Christ say We are not convinced and do not see it our Duty to follow and obey that which thou Commandest us And forasmuch as it is on Record that the Apostles and the Elders wrote their Orders and Decrees and Traditions to the Churches where did ever the Churches and true believers tell the Apostles and the Elders they did not see nor beliebe and had not Faith in their words and therefore it was not their Duty to Obey that which they writ and spoke to them from the Lord by his Spirit but called it Imposition and blind Obedience this always was a marke of the false Apostles and Christians who opposed the true and it was and is the Devil that did and does blind People now that they do not see their Duty to God to do what he commands them Are the Ranters excusable because they say they do not see or believe the wickedness they commit to be sin or evil Will this excuse them in the the day of Judgment take warning and take heed Must not the secrets of Men be Judged by Jesus Christ according to the Gospell which is Preached to or in every Creature under Heaven And canst thou and thine Abettors be excused in your wilfulness and wicked rebellion against God and his People under pretence that you do not see
nor believe Nay William thou and you are seen and your wicked work is weighed in the Ballance of Truth and found too light and Woe and Misery from God will be your Portion except you Repent Your Nakedness doth appear for want of anointing your eyes with eye-salve that you might see c. For truly since you went from the Light of Christ by which you were convinced by which all God's People are now at this day kept in Unity I do plainly see with that eye-salve God hath given me that you are got into a Spirit of Rudeness Lightness Scornfulness and despising those that truly fear the Lord so that it is enough to convince every sober-minded person what Spirit you are led and acted by that they may see with the Light of Christ how you are fallen from the pure truth of the Gospel into Looseness like so many Way-marks for God's people to shun c. W. R. Thou makest a great Pudder and muddlest thy head about our Orders in part 8. p. 5. and twice in pag. 6. And about outward prescriptions in the same Page twice and pag. 10. there thou art at it again and speakest of Decrees and Prescriptions twice over then pag. 13. thou art at it again c. Answ But William why dost thou make such a confused noise about our Orders as though thy Head was amazed And dost so worry them with thy muddled Head that thou hast not been able to give a perfect list of them though it has been of thee demanded What those Orders are that our Friends have imposed upon you For with thy own muddled Head thou thinkest to muddle others Heads with thy making a noise about our Orders Prescriptions Decrees and Government but neither thou nor J. S. nor J. Wilkinson have yet given a full and particular Account of them what they are and stated them aright with the day when and the Year they were given forth that people might have seen them together with a Catalogue of thy own I. Wilkinson's and I. Story 's Decrees and Orders what they are thou shouldst have brought them forth that people might have seen them and been able to judge of them So give over thy making a Noise and Clamouring and Brawling against our Orders Prescriptions and Decrees as long as thou dost not discover them all to the people what they are that people may not be deceived by thee and pin their Faith on thy Sleeve for in this thy empty work thou hast but been beating the Air. And as for the Fruits of a Careless Loose Libertine Dark Spirit W. R. with all his Iâ—'s in all his Writings hath not proved against G. F. but hath manifested them to be the Fruits of his own Spirit whose Tongue is become no slander nor words of any Credit with them that fear the Lord. And J. Wilkinson and W. Rogers have not answer'd G. F's Question yet though W. R. be at it again in his 8th part pag. 8. viz. Whether or no an Heavenly Member of Christ's Body that is such as are born again of the Spirit and of the Immortal seed by the word of God turns to Dust Yea or Nay For G. F's Query was not about an Earthly Member nor an Earthly Corruptible Body but an Heavenly Member Part 8. pag. 2 3. W. R. says It 's the duty of some c. to pin their Faith on the sleeves of C. T. c. Again This small Tract is now written for the sakes of such among the people called Quakers as are not yet Principle'd to pin their Faith upon other mens sleeves Answ Are not the spreaders and the sellers of W. R's malitious Books the pinners of their Faith upon his sleeve And yet they are so confused that they will not stand by him in it But it was always my Judgment to Judge such as Pin their Faith upon thy sleeve or J. S's or J. W's or upon any else For the Faith of God's Elect stands in Christ the Author and Finisher of it And what need was there that any one that reads my Book against thee should pin their Faith on my slieve But W. R. hast not thou Judged us often over in thy malitious slanderous Book to be Apostates and Innovators Was not this a just ground for me to declare thee to be of Korahs Spirit and of Cains Line And if thou hast not in thy Book rendred us such as Apostates and Innovators unto which I refer the Reader then clear thy self if thou canst or else the Burthen of my words in my Testimony against thee in that Spirit thou writ that Book must certainly lie upon thee And herein I have not wronged thee I affirm it and still charge thee in the same true Judgment to be of Korahs and Cains Line to be sealed down under Eternal Judgment and Condemnation from God for ever except thou Repent and we stand over thee in the Authority of God's Power and of such as Abet to thee and adhere to thee in that Malitious Proud and Lofty Spirit thou art entred into W. R. saith part 8. pag. 5. That 't was safer to have a Dependency on this measure of Christs Light in our selves than to have an Eye out to the measures of others Answ Hath not W. R. shewed his Darkness and theirs that incouraged him to Print his Book For can any see the measure of the Spirit of Christ and his Light in others but by the measure of the Spirit of God in themselves in which they come into Unity But where did ever either I or any of our faithful Brethren bring any to look and have a Dependency upon the Measure in others and neglect the measure of the Spirit of God in themselves by which they should be guided to become the Sons and Daughters of God This was never our Principle but thou wouldst insinuate such a thing W. R. And in Part 8. pag. 10. thou speakest of a Visible man to be an Eye to see for the rest of the Body and pag. 11. thou bringest the same and Part 6. pag. 16. thou art muddling thy head again about the same thing and tellest of a late Doctrine viz. Have your Eye to the Brethren And sayst further The substance of this Doctrine hath of late been publish'd also in Publick Meetings c. As in the Natural Body the Eye is placed to see for all the rest of the Members so also in the Spiritual and hath been explained so as it hath been sometimes taken that G. F. is an Eye for the whole Body and other times as if some other Persons were an Eye for a Meeting c. Answ But who have publish'd these Doctrines whom thou hast so backbited in Print thou hast not named their names so must I pin my Faith on thy slieve for the proof thereof But hath not my Caution to the simple-hearted that they should not be deceived by thy lying slanderous Book tormented thee and thy Spirit because of thy wicked Works
And doth not W. R. think himself to be an Eye to his Brethren And doth he not take himself to be an Eye for John Story J. Wilkinson and the rest of the Seperate Company And have not they made him their Eye and Tongue and Mouth to Publish their Writings and Words and their silly false Certifficate Or is their Body without an Eye But the living Members which are the Church and the Body o Christ which he is head of he hath given a Spiritual Eye unto for he is their Eye by his Light and Spirit and without him we can do nothing By which Light all Members do see for themselves and to edifie one another in the most Holy Faith And I would have all people to have an Eye from Christ in themselves that they may see both thy Spirit and thy Books which many do now more fully see than before W. R. saith in Part 6. pag. 3 4. When I consider what Multitudes of the weaker sort of people are apt to be deceived by Embracing Shadows instead of Substance and Lies instead of Truth c. it hath been one motive amongst others occasioned me once more to appear in Print Answ Hath not W. R. appeared here to make the weaker and them that are apt to be deceived to believe him to be a strong man and an Eye to see for them that which they are not able to see for themselves nor help themselves who are weak so doth not he pretend here to see for them and to be a strength to them which he says Hath been one motive amongst others occasioning him once more to appear in Print so hath he not made himself a Seer or an Overseer here among others which thing in effect he Judges in the Body of Christ of which Body we are Now doth not here W. R. confound himself For why should not those Weak hear for themselves and see for themselves with the Light and Grace of Christ which thou W. R. confessest to be sufficient And dost not thou speak of an Unction within them by which all things were known Part 8. pag. 11. But Is not this the occasion that thou once more appearedst in Print that those Weak and such as are apt to be deceived may look at thy Writings For thou dost not say they should try thy Writings by the Light and Grace of Christ within them in the Third and Fourth Pages Part Six But is it not really thy mind that they should believe thee to see for them and help them and to pin their Faith on thy Slieve If not to what end is thy Writing For if thou seest neither for their Body nor for the separate Meeting what doth all thy Scribling then signifie W. R. Part 8. pag. 10. That the Grace of God is sufficient and that every one is to be left to their own measure Thou needst not tell us that who obey it And whereas thou goest over and over in thy Book telling us of G. F's Party but this is from thy malicious foul Spirit We are not such a Party as thou wouldst insinuate but are for Christ and all his Believers in the Light which is the Life in Christ Jesus before Parties were And that in the Light Grace and Spirit of Christ we might all exalt Christ both in Males and Females and by it we may know him to Reign in all our hearts W. R. And whereas thou keepest a Railing against the Second Days Meeting in several places in thy Book Answ I must tell thee the least Babe in Christ that is of that Meeting hath an Understanding with the Light and Spirit of Christ to see over thy foul Spirit and its Works and God hath given them the Spiritual Judgment to Judge them both And thou shalt proceed no further but art detected and thy Folly will be made manifest to all men that hear or see thy Books And the God of Heaven and Earth hath suffered thee a while that when thou hast run thy Race he may fasten his Hook in thy Jaws And how dare W. R. Part 8. pag. 6. say That the Second Days Meeting is Guilty of the like Crime of that nameless Book that W. P. answered Whereas Ellis Hooks his name was set to the Book on the behalf of the Second-Days-Meeting whose Credit did go as far as W. R's and farther among them that fear God And others also of us do own it and will stand by it And W. R. Part 6. pag. 9. speaks Of Saul 's hearkning to Samuel the Prophet c. ' Which he thinks should be a warning to G. F. and others of his Party to hearken unto the Word of the Lord that came through his Servant John Wilkinson on the Twentieth Day of the Sixth Month 1675. on this wise viz. To Repent and turn from your Proceedings and leave Gods people to the Order of his Gospel and Command and that if they would not then the Lord himself would break them and turn them one against another about their Orders so far W. R. of John Wilkinson Answ But neither W. R's nor J. W's Words do answer the Light of the Spirit of God in our Consciences to believe his words as the word of the Lord which proceeded from his Imaginations and lying perverse Spirit For all the Believers in the Light which are the Children of Light are in the Glorious Order of his Gospel the Power of God and Command and others are exhorted to it And J. Wilkinson might see and thou also if thou and he will believe Truth that he is a false Prophet and his false Prophecy is come upon himself For how many hath the Lord broken off from them in the North and also in the South And through thy Wicked Printings many have come to see with the Light of Christ your Wicked Spirit and its Work And especially when they see J. S's and J. Wilkinson's Orders of giving power to meet and those that would not take them but would meet without their Power and Orders were called Usurpers of Authority And many of these Simple-hearted which were ensnared by Subscribing to them are come off from them and have given Certificates against J. Story and J. Wilkinson which W. R. saith It was an Endeavouring to uncover the pretended Nakedness of them to wit his Brothers or Brethren sending Certificates abroad thereof Spread amongst Friends and Enemies Now I do understand that those Enemies were such as J. W. and J. S. had deceived and drawn into a Seperation or did Abet them and the Friends were the faithful that kept to Christ their head and did not follow J. S. nor J. Wilkinson in their Seperation And to such they were sent that they might see how they had been betrayed and as a Warning to others that they might not be deceived as thou hadst been So the Spreading of those Certificates according to the mind of those who had been seduc'd into a joyning with the Seperate Meeting and were brought off through
Gods Great Mercy was to the honour of God and good Caution to others Neither were they Printed but sent amongst Friends and thy own Company who are gone into Enmity and so become Enemies This is no Parallel to the Printing and Spreading thy Wicked Book with Ham's Spirit to the dishonour of God and grief of his good People rendring them Apostates and Innovators c. belying them and so telling and publishing thy slanders as in Gath and Askelon to the gladding the hearts of the Uncircumcised and so manifesting thy own shame in going about to slander such as God hath Clothed c. And my Book stands still a Witness and a Testimony upon thy head and those that encouraged thee against your foul Spirit And is there none come off in Wilts and Bristol since the 20th of the Sixth Month 1675. I say is there none come off from J. Story J. Wilkinson and W. Rogers Yes surely Let Wilts and Bristol speak whether none there have come off from them and testified against their foul Spirit And W. R. unjustly compares J. Wilkinson and his false Prophecy with Samuel the Prophet against Saul which he thinks should be a Warning to G. F. and others to hearken to J. W 's false Prophecy We have taken Warning but it is concerning thine J. Story 's and J. W's Spirit and do warn others to reject his false Spirit and Prophecy which if we should have believed then we might have Repented of it as some have done And so W. Rogers's and J. Wilkinson's own party is broken to pieces as the Certificates aforesaid manifest and Gods People are setled and established upon the Rock of Christ Jesus and by the Certificate that followeth you may Read J. Wilkinson's Apostacy how he kept not his first Habitation And was not J. Story and is not W. Rogers of the same Spirit with him A Certificate FRom William Gandie in Relation of some words in discourse between him and J. Wilkinson at William Gandies house some Years Past concerning the Persecution that was made by the late Act against Conventicles and how liable such as I to wit William Gandie who had a meeting twice in the Week at my house were liable to suffer because the Informers did know certainly where to find us but said J. Wilkinson to me we have taken a Course in Westmorland to prevent the informers for having their Prey upon us for we appoint our Meetings in Private places as Gills and Cloughs where we think they cannot find us Then I asked J. Wilkinson how they did appoint their meetings whether Publickly c. And J. W. said no privately one to the other And then how such Friends should know who might not be acquainted or not be at the meeting And J. W. answered they kept some one on a Hill as a Boy to give such Friends Notice by signes as by the Hat or some such like signes whither they might repair to the Meeting And further J. W. advised me to put the Meeting at my house to meet under a great Oake that stands before my door in the Lane or Kings high way which would prevent them of Twenty Pounds due for my fine c. This is as near as I can remember the Words that passed betwixt us Now I have often heard that William Rogers was about to Print but I hoped they would not have been so very Wicked thus to shew their Enmity but they will have their Reward So in this Day we may Bless the Lord that we have heen preserved from that Spirit in our Countie William Gandie Cheshire the 9th of the 2d Month 1681. W. R. says Part 8. Pag 14. Not one Iota of an Order approved by G. F s Party can be Dispensed with to maintain the Ancient fellowship of the People called Quakers Answer But W. R. hath not shewed wherein nor what all these Orders are nor our Ancient fellowship This is but his empty Clamour like the Rest And Part 8 Pag. 13. W. R. saith whether such of G. F 's party as declare Dis-union with another Person on the meer foot of that other Persons Conscientious refusal to propose the Intention of his Marriage to a Meeting of Women Distinct from Men be not a Badge of Apostacy c. Answer This W. R. would insinuate but hath proved nothing with his dark queries nor named these other Persons who do Conscentiously refuse And pag. 15. he speaks of his Declarations of the Ancient Brethren c. exalting Christ over all in Male and Female the hope of Glory c. And why should not Christ in the Female as well as the Male or why should not faithful Women have a sight into the Marriages in the Covenant of God And how can any Person Conscientiously refuse or deny it And is not W. R. so high and lofty that he and his followers do scorn to lay a Marriage before Christ in the Female as well as in the Male or before the faithful Women as well as the men though in their Meetings they may be Distinct or apart from the men as absent in the Body present in the Spirit one with another That so W. R. hath n t yet prov'd Seperation For some of J. Wilkinsons Party have called the Womens-Meetings an Idol I am a Witness of it Part 6. Page 4. W. R. speaking of Opposers Recriminating Reflections c. saith it hath been one motive among others Occasioning me once more to appear in Print and one part of my End therein is that some short Discovery may be made of the ways and means by which some simple-minded have heen betrayed c. And he further speaking of the Second Days Meeting in London saith These few Lines shall remain on Record to the Infamy and shame of such as have approved the aforesaid Books or Papers Answer W. R. This shame and infamy will remain upon Record against thy self and thine Adherents And must not these thou calls simple insnared betrayed Friends pin their faith on thy sleeve to unbetray them But who the simple betrayed Friends are what they are betray'd in and what our Recriminating Reflections are thou hast not here named And W. R. Thou sayst Part 8 Page 11. The sense I have of the snare attending many through Conformity to other mens Lines made ready to their hands in blind Obedience c. Answers But who are those that are Conformable to other Mens Lines made ready to their hands and where are the Lines they are Comformable unto Why hast thou not Printed them all or must I pin my faith on thy sleeve in this also But what W. R. who appearest in Print for the simple and betrayed is not the Grace of God within and the Light of Christ sufficient by which all must be kept to their own to see Christ their Saviour that they need not look at thy Lines made ready to their hands which instead of undeceiving them will deceive them the more And as for the Second